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For 4 Celtics players, Sunday’s Game 1 win over 76ers was extra special

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 19: Neemias Queta #88 of the Boston Celtics dunks the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

BOSTON — With the first quarter clock winding down, Jordan Walsh sprinted as fast as he could down the court. In perfect harmony, Jayson Tatum found him for a transition layup to beat the buzzer, and the Celtics extended their lead over the Philadelphia 76ers to 15 in the opening game of the playoffs.

In the grand scheme of things — a 32-point Celtics victory — the sequence wasn’t particularly consequential, though it did amp up the TD Garden crowd.

For Walsh, however, it was the very first time he’d tallied a basket in the NBA playoffs.

As such, he turned to the Celtics bench, emphatic: after two years of riding the Celtics bench during the playoffs, the 22-year-old was a part of the postseason action. And, he was far from the only guy on the roster getting that first taste of the playoffs.

On Sunday, in a 123-91, wire-to-wire Celtics win over the 76ers, Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh, Luka Garza, and Baylor Scheierman all saw their first meaningful playoff action.

Before Game 1, the foursome had combined for a total of 31 playoff points. And, in one raucous afternoon at TD Garden, they nearly matched that number; Queta (13 points), Garza (7 points), Walsh (5 points), and Scheierman (5 points) combined for 30 in the victory.

“I know the coaches have been talking to them,” said Sam Hauser, who started his first-ever NBA playoff game on Sunday. “Just saying, like, ‘Be ready. Might be five minutes, could be 20. Just never really know. But, [you] just got to make your minutes count.’”

In their own way, they each did just that.

And, even Sam Hauser, a relative vet compared to some of the younger guys, played his most-ever playoff minutes (28), and recorded a playoff-career-high 7 rebounds. Hauser also made the second-most threes (4) of his playoff career.

“There’s definitely some anxiety, to just kind of get stuff going,” Hauser said. “You’re just anxious; you want to get out there and get the ball tipped off.”

Each of the playoff newcomers found a different way to make their impact

Mazzulla, from the jump, stressed to the less experienced guys on the roster that the playoffs are not actually all that different from the regular season.

“I mean, you have to offensive rebound in the regular season, you have to sprint to get a transition layup, you have to defend without fouling, and you have to know your personnel,” Mazzulla said. “You have to do all the things that you can control. And it’s a credit to those guys being ready to do that.”

Queta, in his first playoff career start, made all five of his field goal attempts in his 15 minutes, while battling early foul trouble (he finished the night with 5 fouls, clearing the way for Nikola Vucevic and Luka Garza to both see substantial action).

Walsh came in with four minutes left in the first quarter and took on the Tyrese Maxey defensive assignment with fervor. Mazzulla went out of his way to point out the importance of his end-of-first-quarter transition layup.

Garza and Scheierman started the second quarter together, and each immediately made a big-time play; Garza grabbed an offensive rebound and converted two free throws. Scheierman sank a floater and swatted a Paul George layup on the next possession — plays his head coach recounted after the game.

None of them put together their biggest game of the year, but all of them did just enough to impact the Celtics positively.

“We just need guys to be ready to make plays,” Mazzulla said. “And they did that tonight.”

For Jaylen Brown, the message to the young guys was simple

Ultimately, it was Tatum (25 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists) and Jaylen Brown (25 points (26 points, 3 assists) who headlined the Celtics, as they’ve done countless times before. The veteran duo has made it to five Eastern Conference Finals and two NBA Finals.

Tatum and Brown have now played in a whopping 116 playoff games together. On Sunday, they looked like the two best players on the floor, just as they have dozens of times through their playoff journeys — even with Tatum just 11 months removed from his Achilles rupture.

Before the game, Brown had a message for his less-experienced teammates: “Just breathe. Manage your emotions. They might go on a run. They might not go on a run, but just stay together. Win the fight. Be the harder-playing team and guard. Don’t save yourself for offense. Offense is going to be fine if we defend.”

In Game 1, the 76ers never really made a run.

And, like Brown implored, the Celtics defended, holding the 76ers to 91 points on 38.9% shooting.

It’s just one game.

In the weeks ahead, they’re going to have to do it 15 more times to accomplish their ultimate goal.


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San Antonio vs. Portland, Final Score: Spurs put away pesky Blazers to take Game 1, 111-98

Wembanyama, Castle, and Fox carried the Spurs throughout Game 1, but it was Devin Vassell who helped them a second-half Blazers push
Apr 19, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) drives to the basket between Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) and center Donovan Clingan (23) during the first half of game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Victor Wembanyama put up the highest individual scoring total in the playoffs by a Spur all time tonight, and San Antonio alternated between moments of sheer glory and pangs of growing pains in a game 1 win over Portland 111-98. San Antonio took advantage of the Blazers’ errant shooting outside of Deni Avdija’s laborious efforts to jump ahead by as much as 16 in the first half. The Spurs were blitzed coming out of the half by an opening 8-0 run that brought Portland within two. Devin Vassell, their second-longest tenured veteran, became a man possessed in the third quarter to help San Antonio snag the lead back for good.

Wembanyama (35 points [5-for-6 from 3], 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Stephon Castle (17 points, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds) did much of the early labor for San Antonio and De’Aaron Fox (17 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds) ascended later on for the victorious second-seeded Spurs. Vassell’s (15 points and 2 blocks) timely shooting and air defense kept Portland at bay, and Luke Kornet (10 points and 6 rebounds) ensured no dropoff whenever Wembanyama sat. Rookies Dylan Harper (6 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assist) and Carter Bryant were mostly neutral in their respective minutes, which was decent enough for their first playoff action.

Avdija (30 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists) steadied the young Blazers through the first 2 1/2 quarters, while Scoot Henderson (18 points) came on later in the game to make an impact. Toumani Camara played some Bruce Bowen-like defense to pester the younger Spurs. Robert Williams III (11 points and 4 rebounds) and Shaedon Sharpe (10 points) helped the Blazers outscore the Spurs’ bench counterparts in the first half

The teams – with a smattering of errant shots, choppy execution, and higher acuity of physical contact – struggled from the onset. Avdija scored an early seven, while Castle had five of his own. Portland did the equivalent of a hockey ‘forecheck’ to keep the Spurs from leaking out on the break, but they struggled from distance outside of a Williams three and Sharpe jumper. The Spurs’ offensive diet was spread out primarily among the non-Champagnie starters with Wembanyama scoring 9 and Castle 7. Johnson matched Avdija’s late jumper with a buzzer-beating three and San Antonio left the period up nine.

Portland saw more of its outside shots go down at the start of the second and got as close as five. But the Spurs unfurled their pick-and-roll to get Wembanyama two lob slams, while Fox caught fire later. Kornet slammed home beautiful feeds from Fox and Castle to keep the pressure on Portland. Camara drew an outsized number of fouls throughout the half, but Johnson flagged down three of the team’s eight offensive rebounds. Avdija’s and-1 got the Blazers to within seven. Despite Williams’ third dunk of the half and Castle being whistled for his third foul, San Antonio still went to the half up ten.

Portland drew as close to two of the Spurs with Advija’s teammates initiating an opening 8-0 run. Vassell turned the Spurs’ third quarter from a potential disaster into a personal display of his two-way competitiveness and maturity. More importantly, Julian Champagnie hit a few shots and joined Vassell as the necessary release valves that they had been most of the season. After an Avdija injury, San Antonio kept Portland mostly off the scoreboard and went to the fourth up 87-72.

Observations

  • PLAYOFF BASKETBALL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2548 DAYS!
  • Clingan Maneuver: Deep into the third quarter, Donovan Clingan, already a non-factor in the game, was turned away at the rim by Kornet on a dunk try and then Vassell on the next attempt.
  • If the top franchise centers can wear their giveaway shirts, everyone else needs to, as well.
  • Tirico immediately addressed the colorful palette of giveaway shirts gorgeously Fiesta-ly patterned by section. He’s the best.
  • Henderson whined like a teething baby on all of his fouls tonight.
  • I’m kinda sad that NBC doesn’t use the Frost Bank / downtown San Antonio backdrop as part of its arena backgrounds on the cutaways from action. Even Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center gets some love on those commercial breaks.
  • Kelly Olynyk turned 35…. and future Austin Spurs coach by 2030. Mainly on the strength of those ankle socks.
  • Keldon’s Kitchen: His first attempt looked slow and mechanical, but under the pressure of the first quarter clock, his next one looked pure.
  • Devin’s Deeds: He hounded Jerami Grant multiple times on the same possession late in the opening frame and Bryant deflected the Blazer’s ensuing pass attempt.
  • Sequence of the Game #1: At the start of the second, Harper ran an impressive pick and roll up the right side with Wembanyama and managed to throw a lob to the center with his left hand (going away from his body – it’s hard to do it with your strong hand).
  • Sequence of the Game #2: After forcing a long Blazer miss partway through the second, Fox took the carom and sent it 50 feet up the floor to Champagnie who patiently scooted crosscourt and spoonfed Vassell for a catch-and-shoot three to put San Antonio up 10.
  • Sequence of the Game #3: Partway into the third quarter, and right after Tirico said “Vassell, he’s EVERYWHERE on the floor,” the veteran guard hit a transition wing three to put the Spurs back up 11. This came after two emphatic blocks and a noticeable jump in his involvement on both ends.

Game Rundown

Wembanyama and Avdija missed their first shots from the tip, but produced quickly from there. Castle banked in his first jumper and his first triple followed after. Henderson’s three put the Blazers up three. Wembanyama put Advija in the spin cycle for a gorgeous lay-up – which caused Tim Duncan and David Robinson to shake their heads – and hit a pull-up three moments later. The teams remained glued to 21-15 over several possessions, and Johnson pestered Advija into an airball. Fox’s stepback three put the Spurs up nine. Wembanyama impressively blocked Sharpe’s floater, but was called for a loose-ball foul on the follow through. Despite Avdija putting up over half of his team’s points, Johnson’s buzzer-beating three got San Antonio to 30-21.

Camara and Sharpe made a mini-run to slice into the Spurs’ advantage to start the second. Two Wembanyama lob dunks followed by a Harper lay-up kept it a three-possession game. With Wembanyama lurking everywhere, the Spurs forced Portland into a shot-clock violation. Jumpers from Vassell and Fox offset Avdija’s scoring, and Fox’s previous make gave him room to set up a nice lob to Kornet. Fox’s transition three put the Spurs up 14. Kornet wrestled an errant Castle miss and gutted home a floater over three Blazers. A pair of Williams dunks brought the Blazers within ten. Coach Johnson challenged a questionable offensive foul call on Castle (knee-to-knee with Holiday) in the final 90 seconds and it was unsuccessful – also costing Castle a third foul. San Antonio held a tenuous 59-49 advantage at the half.

Henderson sandwiched a transition lay-up and triple around a Holiday three, and Portland quickly shrunk the deficit to two. A Castle lob dunk was the only field goal over 4+ minutes of the third for San Antonio. Despite that futility, Portland was unable to tie or take the lead. Fox was the first Spur to attack Avdija on the defensive end to draw the Blazer’s first foul. Champagnie slapped away a transition pass and received a skip pass to hit his first three. Vassell had a turbocharged handful of minutes on both ends, while Kornet had a powerful presence with Wembanyama resting, to help San Antonio get its lead back into double digits. Avdija and Williams awkwardly collided with each other, and San Antonio used the last three minutes to extend its lead to 15.

For the Blazers fan’s perspective, please visit Blazers Edge.

San Antonio hosts Portland for game 2 on Tuesday night at 7:00 PM CDT (note the earlier tipoff) on NBA / Peacock.

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Michael Harris II leads surging Braves past slumping Phillies 4-2 for 3-game sweep

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Michael Harris II homered and had three hits as the streaking Atlanta Braves defeated the slumping Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 on Sunday night to complete a three-game sweep of their NL East rivals.

Ozzie Albies hit an RBI double and Austin Riley also drove in a run for the Braves, who have won five in a row and nine of 11. It was Atlanta’s first series sweep of at least three games at Philadelphia in 10 years.

Kyle Schwarber went deep for the Phillies, who have lost five straight and 10 of 13. They were outscored 56-33 on a 2-7 homestand against the Diamondbacks, Cubs and Braves, leaving Philadelphia 6 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta in the division standings.

Raisel Iglesias escaped trouble in the ninth inning for his fifth save. Philadelphia put runners on first and second with one out, but Trea Turner struck out and Schwarber lined out to right field on an excellent running catch by Ronald Acuña Jr.

Tyler Kinley (3-0) pitched a scoreless sixth for the win.

Schwarber’s two-run shot in the first gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead.

Harris homered leading off the third before the Braves went ahead in the fifth with three runs against rookie starter Andrew Painter (1-1) and lefty reliever Tim Mayza.

Painter was lifted after he opened the inning by allowing singles to Harris and Acuña. Mayza loaded the bases with a walk, and the Braves tied the game on Matt Olson’s groundout. Riley’s dribbler to third went for an RBI infield single, and Albies’ double to the left-field wall made it 4-2.

Riley saved at least one run while ending a Philadelphia threat in the bottom of the fifth with a stellar defensive play at third base.

Braves starter Grant Holmes allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings.

On a chilly night, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto sat out after leaving Saturday’s game with lower back tightness.

Up next

Braves: Begin a four-game series Monday night at Washington. RHP Bryce Elder (2-1, 0.77 ERA) opposes Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (1-2, 6.16).

Phillies: Open seven-game trip Monday night with the first of four games against the Cubs. RHP Aaron Nola (1-4, 4.03 ERA) faces Chicago RHP Colin Rea (2-0, 3.63).

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Sabres score four 3rd-period goals to beat the Bruins 4-3 in playoff opener

NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres

Apr 19, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing Alex Tuch (89) celebrates his goal with teammates during the third period against the Boston Bruins in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Mattias Samuelson scored with 3:24 left and Buffalo overcame a two-goal deficit in the final eight minutes to beat the Boston Bruins 4-3 on Sunday night in the Sabres’ first playoff game in 15 years.

Tage Thompson scored goals 3:42 apart to tie it, and Alex Tuch sealed the victory by scoring into an empty net with 1:12 left in nearly blowing the roof off the arena.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 17 shots.

Buffalo hosts Game 2 of the first-round series Tuesday night.

The playoff win was Buffalo’s first at home — and first overall — since a 1-0 victory over Philadelphia in Game 4 of a first-round series April 20, 2011. The Sabres proceeded to lose the series in seven games. The Sabres won their first Atlantic Division this season and snapped an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought.

David Pastrnak scored with seven seconds remaining, and had two assists for Boston. Morgan Geekie and Elias Lindholm also scored for the Bruins. who finished the regular season 33-2-4 when leading after two periods.

Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves.

After going 5,473 days between playoff games the Sabres delivered a stunning victory.

Trailing 2-0 after Lindholm scored 1:08 into the third period, Buffalo finally caught a spark from Thompson, who led the team with 40 goals this season.

Thompson’s first goal came on a wrap-around backhander with 7:58 remaining. He then tied it by getting to a loose puck to the left of the Boston net, and firing a low shot inside the far post with 4:16 remaining.

With the crowd still buzzing, Samuelsson scored 52 seconds later. Teammate Jack Quinn got to the puck deep in the Bruins zone and fed Samuelsson, who snapped a high shot in from the left circle.

This marked just the second time Buffalo overcame a two-goal third-period deficit. The other time also happened against Boston in a Game 4 first-round series-clinching first-round 6-5 overtime win in 1993. It’s best remembered in Buffalo as the “May Day!” game with Brad May scoring the decisive goal to secure the Sabres’ first playoff series victory in a decade.

The Bruins, the Eastern Conference’s seventh-seeded team, unraveled in making their return to the playoffs following a one-year hiatus.

Pastrnak’s three-point outing upped his career playoff total to 909 points, and moved him ahead of Cam Neely and Wayne Cashman for ninth on the team list, and two back of Bobby Orr.

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Red-hot Ben Rice continues to impress in rare chance as Yankees’ leadoff hitter

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Ben Rice (22) home run during the second inning when the New York Yankees played the Kansas City Royals Sunday, April 19, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY.

A different lineup — Giancarlo Stanton received a day off after starting six days in a row and Paul Goldschmidt started against a lefty as Ben Rice got a turn at DH — had a different leadoff hitter.

For the first time this season, Rice batted atop the lineup in front of Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Goldschmidt.

Rice has been among the game’s best hitters this season, but manager Aaron Boone said the slot would not become typical. Rice more often hits in the heart of the order and was moved up as a result of several off days (Jazz Chisholm Jr., too) and a unique matchup against lefty Cole Ragans, who has been better against righties than lefties.

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Sunday, Ragans was not effective against any Yankee, particularly Rice.

Rice, who homered and drew two walks in five plate appearances in the 7-0 rout in The Bronx, is simply hitting everyone.

“I just got to continue to get the reps [against southpaws] and continue to swing at good pitches, work good at-bats,” said Rice, who is killing both lefties (1.332 OPS) and righties (1.255 OPS). “That’s all I can do.”

Even when Rice has been out of the starting lineup against lefties, Boone has been aggressive in pinch hitting Rice early, but reasons to ever sit him are dwindling.

Against Ragans, one of the game’s premier lefties, Rice worked a walk in the first inning right ahead of a Judge home run and then smacked his eighth homer of the season (and fourth in four games) in the second inning.

Ben Rice (22) home run during the second inning when the New York Yankees played the Kansas City Royals Sunday, April 19, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post

“I thought he was going to be on base a lot, going to make my job easier to get him in scoring position and drive him in, like I did in the first,” Judge said of the afternoon’s leadoff hitter. “Definitely going to be some headaches for opposing pitching staffs. … He’s top of the league right now.”

Boone said he likes Rice “pretty much against everyone” and emphasized that more goes into the lineup decision than just whether a pitcher is righty or lefty.

“Quality at-bat after quality at-bat,” Judge said of Rice. “Doesn’t matter who’s on the mound or the situation.”

In what was expected to be his final game with Double-A Somerset before moving up to SWB, Volpe went 2-for-4 while playing seven innings.

Volpe, who has gone 4-for-11 with two steals in four games, is expected to join SWB on Tuesday.

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Recap: Bruins fall apart in the third, drop Game 1 in Buffalo

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - APRIL 19: Mattias Samuelsson #23 of the Buffalo Sabres celebrates with teammates after scoring during the third period in Game One of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Boston Bruins at KeyBank Center on April 19, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. Buffalo won, 4-3. (Photo by Joe Hrycych/Getty Images) | Getty Images

For a while, things were looking pretty good for the Bruins in Game 1.

Weather the storm early? Check. Get the first goal? Check. Hold on for dear life but eventually extend the lead? Check.

Then it all fell apart in a span of just under five minutes in the third period, as the B’s saw a 2-0 lead turn into a 4-2 deficit in what would end up being a 4-3 Buffalo win in Game 1.

Tage Thompson scored twice in 3:42 to make it a 2-2 game, then Mattias Samuelsson scored less than a minute after Thompson’s second goal to give Buffalo the lead.

An empty-netter from Alex Tuch would seal it, though the Bruins added a consolation goal with eight seconds left.

Ultimately, it was a stunning, if not surprising, collapse from a Bruins team who has seen this script play out one (or five) times too many this season.

Morgan Geekie, Elias Lindholm, and David Pastrnak scored the goals for the Bruins, while Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves in defeat.

Geekie got the scoring started midway through the first period, collecting a blocked Pastrnak shot and beating Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen clean to make it 1-0 Bruins.

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It would be another second-chance shot that led to a goal for the B’s a minute into the third period, as Lindholm cashed in to make it 2-0 Bruins.

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Annnnnnnnnnnd then it went south.

The Bruins held that 2-0 lead until 12:02 of the third, when Thompson scored his first to make it 2-1 Bruins.

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It was Thompson again just three minutes later to make it a 2-2 game with 4:16 left in the third.

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That lasted all of 52 seconds, as Samuelsson beat Swayman with a beautiful wrist shot to make it 3-2 Sabres with 3:24 left in the game.

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Tuch’s empty-net goal would come with 1:12 left in the third, salting this one away for Buffalo.

Pastrnak scored a PPG with eight seconds left, but…yeah. Not enough time to do much with that.

Bruins LOSE, 4-3 final.

Game notes

  • Given that the Bruins are the underdog in this series, you’d probably find that most Bruins fans wouldn’t have been surprised by a Game 1 loss. Juiced building, Sabres feeding off of the home crowd, etc. However, to lose in this fashion is a real kick in the teeth. It’s one thing to lose a series opener on the road, but it’s another to turn a 2-0 third period lead into a 3-2 deficit in a matter of minutes.
  • It’s easy to say in hindsight, but it seems like the coaching staff should have done something to attempt to slow the game down at 2-2. Calling a timeout would have been the clearest option, but given how these games went for the Bruins during the regular season, it wasn’t hard to imagine that 2-2 wasn’t going to last long.
  • Most goals you allow are going to be self-inflicted to a degree, but it’s hard to look past the individual mistakes on all three of Buffalo’s non-ENGs. Charlie McAvoy whiffed on a puck, Andrew Peeke lost a board battle, Hampus Lindholm flubbed a puck…they’re the kind of mistakes that will cost you against a good team, and they buried the Bruins tonight.
  • Buffalo’s comeback was one for the record books, as it marked the first playoff regulation win for a team trailing 2-0 within the last eight minutes of regulation. An oddly specific stat, but a stat nonetheless.
  • While the B’s did have a 2-0 lead and played well for decent stretches, this wasn’t a game that ever really felt like the Bruins controlled. It’s probably not fair to say they were hanging on for dear life for most of the night, but the second period, in particular, felt like a “batten down the hatches and survive” approach. Buffalo outshot the Bruins 13-4 in the second, but failed to beat Swayman.
  • Pastrnak finished the night with 1G-2A-3PTS, but he’ll likely be fixating on two missed breakaway (or breakaway-adjacent) opportunities in the second period. One was a bit flubbed due to the pass, but the second was pretty clean, only for Luukkonen to stand tall.
  • The B’s second line had themselves a rough night at the office, as Casey Mittelstadt, Pavel Zacha, and Viktor Arvidsson were each minus-three on the evening. They landed four shots on goal as a unit.

The good news for the Bruins is that painful losses still only count as a single loss, so they’ve got that going for them…which is nice.

Game 2 is Tuesday night, back in Buffalo.

Lineup changes? Line shake-ups? It is what it is?

Discuss.

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Let’s go Flyers: Braves 4, Phillies 2

Apr 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Mike Yastrzemski (18) hits a double against the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

It was a big weekend for Philadelphia sports. The Sixers and Flyers began their first-round playoff series, while the Phillies hosted the first-place Braves for a three-game series. The Flyers came through with a hard fought 3-2 win on Saturday night. But the rest of the weekend did not go well for the city (that was one of the worst playoff performances I’ve ever seen by the Sixers), capped off by a 4-2 loss by the Phillies on Sunday night that looked similar to so many other losses this season.

The game actually started off well. Trea Turner led off with a single, and Kyle Schwarber hit a home run that reviews confirmed did clear the fence before hitting a fan.

When Bryce Harper followed with a walk, it looked like the Phillies might be in for one of those big offensive nights that they give us every so often. But that was not to be. The next three batters got out rather easily, setting the tone for the rest of the night.

Andrew Painter got the start for the Phillies and was generally okay. Unfortunately, with the way things are going for the Phillies, okay isn’t enough. He gave up a solo home run to Michael Harris in the third and then got out of a second-and-third, one out jam in the fourth.

But unless you’re facing the 2026 Phillies, if you keep putting baserunners on, eventually it’s going to cost you. Painter allowed consecutive singles to start the fifth, and manager Rob Thomson chose to pull him in favor of Tim Mayza.

The remainder of the inning was a great representation of how things have gone lately for the Phillies in that they were both bad and unlucky.

Mayza walked his first batter, and then Matt Olson hit a grounder to second that wasn’t hard enough for the Phillies to turn a double play. The Phillies got the out at second, but the Braves tied the game. Austin Riley followed with what was by my calculations, the 200th infield single against the Phillies in the last three weeks, to put the Braves in front 3-2.

Ozzie Albies then hit a ball to left field, and I’m still not sure what Brandon Marsh was trying to do out there, but he sure didn’t catch it. The result was a 4-2 Braves lead.

The Phillies had an opportunity to get back into the game in the bottom of the inning. With Turner on first base and two outs, Schwarber doubled into the corner (at least someone had a good game), but surprisingly, Turner had to hold up at third. Bryce Harper then followed up with a ball to third that he almost beat out, but beating out close plays isn’t what the Phillies do these days.

The Braves seemed like they wanted to let the Phillies back into the game. They couldn’t tack on against some of the lesser lights of the Phillies’ bullpen, and in the seventh, gave the Phillies two baserunners thanks to a walk and hit batter. But Bryson Stott meekly popped up and Rafael Marchan watched strike three to end the “threat.”

The Phillies dashed our hopes one last time in the ninth. A Stott double and Justin Crawford walk put the tying run on base for the top of the order. But as he so often does in clutch spots, Turner was overmatched by a fastball for a strike out, and then Schwarber hit a liner to right field that Ronald Acuna was somehow able to track down to end the game.

At least the Phillies won’t have long to stew in this ugliness. They’ll travel to Chicago to start a three-game series for the Cubs. Monday night’s game will be on at the same time as the Flyers, so the hope is that the hockey team can provide us with a little bit of distraction. I doubt a road trip will do much to improve their play, but it will at least provide a respite for all the fans who were subject to watching this ugliness this weekend.

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Braves break out the brooms in Philadelphia, complete the sweep on Sunday Night Baseball

Apr 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (23) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

After a dominant win in Game 1, the Atlanta Braves did just enough in Games 2 and 3 to extend their winning streak to five games. 

Oh, and sweep the Philadelphia Phillies for the first time at Citizens Bank Park since September 2016. 

In a battle of the best and worst run differentials in the league, the Braves outscored the Phillies 16-3 this series.

Tonight began with an inauspicious start for Grant Holmes. A Trea Turner single and then a Kyle Schwarber bomb made it 2-0 in a hurry, doubling the amount of Philly’s runs so far in the series. He’d work around a Harper walk but otherwise emerge unscathed.

The Braves tried to respond in the top of the second inning, where Austin Riley and Dom Smith reached via a HBP and a single, respectively. Ozzie Albies won an ABS challenge on a called strike miles above the zone, but struck out. Mike Yastrzemski laced a ball to right but into the glove of Adolis García, and Mauricio Dubón had a valiant 10-pitch at bat that ended with an ABS-assisted strikeout. 

Holmes settled down to set down the bottom of the Phillies order in the bottom of the second. 

The Braves would cut the lead in half via the paternal pop of Michael Harris II, hitting his fourth home run of the year 102 miles per hour to right field. The lineup card turned over, and nothing came from our big boppers.

Good news and bad news for Holmes in the bottom of the third – he finally did not walk Harper (yay), but he did allow a single (not yay). But that would be the only damage done. 

It looked like the Braves were cooking up something in the top of the fourth after Austin grounded out to start the inning. An Ozzie walk and Yaz double with Dom Smith up? You could feel CJ Nitkowski gearing up for a Moment. But it wasn’t to be – Dom’s pop out to short and Dubon’s flyout to center left them stranded.

Grant was groovin’ in the bottom half of the fourth, only needing eight pitches to set down Marsh, Bohm, and Stott.

Michael collected another knock to lead off the top of the fifth, prompting a mound visit and Tim Mayza loosening in the Phillies bullpen. Painter’s 84th pitch of the night would be smoked 104 mph for a single by Ronald Acuña Jr. Rob Thomson, not wanting to take any more chances this third time through, lifted his rookie in favor of the lefty Mayza. Drake Baldwin won a challenge as a batter (!) and reached on a walk, loading the bases for Matt Olson. 

What ensues is a kind of inning that only happens TO us, never in our favor. But there’s a first time for everything~

Matt tied things up 2-2, reaching on the forceout at second. Austin then drove in another on an infield single. Ozzie followed up with a double to make it 4-2. The rally would die there, with Yaz and Dom were both caught looking for strike three. 

Grant recorded two more outs before departing with Turner at first. His final line was 4.2 innings, four hits, one walk, and four strikeouts, all on 81 pitches. The one real piece of damage was the Schwarber 2-run homer in the first inning. But all things considered, it was encouraging to see Grant really settle down after the first for a solid outing.

Speaking of Schwarber, Aaron Bummer immediately harshed the vibes by allowing a double to Adolis García. But thankfully, he followed it up with quickly getting Harper 0-2 and inducing a groundout.

Michael’s very nice night continued with a single off of new reliever Chase Shugart, making him 3-3. After a Ronald walk, Mike advanced to third on a Drake flyout but neither would come home to score after Kyle Backhus struck out Matt.

Tyler Kinley had some trouble finding the zone to start the bottom of the sixth, walking García, and hitting Bohm. But he would lock back in to escape the jam. Backhaus, Kerkering, and Johnson threw up zeroes, but so did Dylan Lee and Robert Suarez. The only thing of note would be Michael working a walk (!).

Raisel Iglesias entered the bottom of the ninth in his most favorite of situations: one of the save variety. A two run lead facing the bottom of the order? Not dramatic enough, he felt. After a Stott double and Marchán flyout, he would walk nine-hole hitter Crawford to bring us back to the top of the order. Turner struck out to bring Kyle Schwarber to the plate representing the go-ahead run. He would connect with an Iggy changeup to send it rocketing 103 mph… into Ronald’s glove in a spectacular running grab. How sweep it is.

We’ll see the Phils again on Friday as we kick off our next homestand. But tonight, the Braves will have a happy flight to DC.

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Cubs Minor League Wrap: Pelicans topple Cannon Ballers, 7-3

MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 15, 2025: Michael Carico #9 of the Chicago Cubs bats during the seventh inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Los Angeles Angels at Sloan Park on March 15, 2025 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images

A no-hitter in South Bend. No, not the good kind.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs ran aground against the Columbus Clippers (Guardians), 12-8.

Starter Connor Noland got blitzed early today. He allowed five runs in the bottom of the first inning and two more in the third. Noland’s final line was seven runs on six hits over three innings. Three of those hits were home runs. He walked three and struck out three.

I guess it’s only fair to say the wind was howling out to left at 17 miles per hour. Seemed like more than that.

Right fielder Kevin Alcántara crushed one 442 feet in the third inning with a man on for his eighth home run on the season. Alcántara went 2 for 3 with two walks.

In the fourth inning, first baseman Jonathon Long hit a solo home run, his second on the season. Long went 2 for 4 with a walk. He scored three times.

Third baseman Pedro Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a walk. He also scored three runs.

Shortstop Ben Cowles was 3 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He drove in a run with a two-out single in the seventh.

The Jaguar roars.

Long’s home run went 403 feet.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were extinguished by the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Marlins), 7-6.

Starter Tyler Schlaffer got through the first inning fine, but he was hammered for six runs in the second inning. Schlaffer was charged with six runs, four earned, on six hits over 1.2 innings. Schlaffer walked one and struck out two.

Right fielder Alex Ramirez went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored one run.

Center fielder Carter Trice was 2 for 5 with a double and one run scored.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were no-hit by the Beloit Sky Carp (Marlins), 10-0.

Brooks Caple started and took the loss after giving up five runs in the second inning. His final line was five runs on four hits over three innings. He struck out five, walked two and hit one batter.

South Bend had three baserunners—Kane Kepley and Cameron Sisneros walked and Kade Snell was hit by a pitch

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox), 7-3.

Starter Mason McGwire was terrific, allowing just one hit and one hit batsman over four scoreless innings. McGwire struck out five and walked no one.

Luis A. Reyes relieved McGwire in the fifth and almost coughed up a six-run lead. He gave up three runs while retiring only one batter before Hayden Frank relieved him with the bases loaded and only one out in the inning. Frank kept any inherited runners from scoring and went on the got the win after 3.2 innings without allowing a run. Frank surrenderd two hits, issued two walks and struck out five.

First baseman Michael Carico hit a two-run home run in the second inning. Carico went 1 for 2 with three walks.

Center fielder Alexey Lumpuy was 2 for 5. He scored once and drove in two.

Second baseman Ty Southisene went 2 for 4 with a double and a stolen base. Southisene scored three runs.

Some Mason McGwire highlights.

Carico’s home run.

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Wedgewood’s 24 saves lift No. 1-seeded Avalanche past Kings in Stanley Cup opener

DENVER (AP) — Logan O’Connor scored for the first time in more than a year, Scott Wedgewood stopped 24 shots in his first Stanley Cup playoffs start and the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 in Game 1 on Sunday.

O’Connor’s third-period tally was his first since Game 4 of a playoff series against Dallas on April 26. He missed most of this season with a hip injury. Artturi Lehkonen had a second-period goal for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche.

Wedgewood got the nod in net over Mackenzie Blackwood after leading the league in goals-against average and save percentage. Wedgewood made four career playoff appearances in relief before Sunday’s start.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Denver.

Artemi Panarin scored a power-play goal with 2:22 left to make it 2-1. Shortly after, forward Joel Armia was called for high-sticking and the Kings were unable to tie it up.

Anton Forsberg stopped 28 shots in his NHL postseason debut.

CANADIENS 4, LIGHTNING 3, OT

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Juraj Slafkovsky scored his third power-play goal 1:22 into overtime and Montreal beat Tampa Bay in Game 1 of their first-round series.

Slafkovsky fired a slap shot from the left circle that beat Andrei Vasilevskiy to the far side for the hat trick.

Game 2 is Tuesday night at Benchmark International Arena, where Tampa Bay has lost eight of its last nine home games in the postseason.

Josh Anderson also had a goal for Montreal and rookie goalie Jakub Dobes made 20 saves.

Brandon Hagel scored two goals and Darren Raddysh also scored for Tampa Bay.

SABRES 4, BRUINS 3

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Mattias Samuelson scored with 3:24 left and Buffalo overcame a two-goal deficit in the final eight minutes to beat Boston in the Sabres’ first playoff game in 15 years.

Tage Thompson scored goals 3:42 apart to tie it, and Alex Tuch sealed the victory by scoring into an empty net with 1:12 left in nearly blowing the roof off the arena.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 17 shots.

Buffalo hosts Game 2 of the first-round series Tuesday night.

The playoff win was Buffalo’s first at home — and first overall — since a 1-0 victory over Philadelphia in Game 4 of a first-round series April 20, 2011. The Sabres proceeded to lose the series in seven games. The Sabres won their first Atlantic Division this season and snapped an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4, MAMMOTH 2

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nic Dowd redirected Noah Hanifin’s shot from the point to put Vegas ahead at 7:20 of the third period and the Golden Knights beat Utah in Game 1 of their first-round series.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Las Vegas.

The Golden Knights, who twice trailed before scoring three third-period goals, have not lost in regulation since John Tortorella (8-0-1) took over as coach.

The Mammoth lost in the franchise’s first playoff game since 2020. They are in their second season in Utah after leaving Arizona.

Colton Sissons had a goal and assist for the Golden Knights and Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev also scored. Carter Hart stopped 32 shots. Hanifin had two assists.

Logan Cooley and Kevin Stenlund scored for the Mammoth. Karel Vejmelka, playing in his first playoff game after five years in the Utah/Arizona organization, made 27 saves. Captain Clayton Keller, who closed the regular season with 16 assists over a 10-game streak, failed to record one in this game.

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Penguins Notebook: Penguins Keep Same Lines At Practice Ahead Of Game 2

The Pittsburgh Penguins were back to work in Cranberry on Sunday after dropping Game 1 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night. 

They only scored two goals in the 3-2 loss and weren't close to their best. They had a lot of trouble breaking through the Flyers' trap and couldn't exit their zone cleanly. 

Sidney Crosby was especially quiet, which is rare for him against the Flyers. He has tormented them throughout his career, but the Flyers did a great job defending against him and his line. 

Speaking of his line with Egor Chinakhov and Bryan Rust, it appears to be staying together heading into Game 2 on Monday. In fact, it looks like Muse is keeping all of his lines and pairings together for Monday's game.

Here were the lines at practice:

Forwards

Chinakhov-Crosby-Rust

Novak-Rakell-Malkin

Soderblom-Kindel-Mantha

Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari

Defensive pairs

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Girard-Letang

Shea-Clifton

- If the Penguins find themselves down in this game or if they lose it, then I think you'd see head coach Dan Muse change some of the lines. I'd still like to see Chinakhov back with Evgeni Malkin at some point since those two had such great chemistry during the regular season. 

- Muse danced around a starting goaltender question after Sunday's practice wrapped up, saying he'd announce who his starter is on Monday. I'd be stunned if it wasn't Stuart Skinner after how great he played on Saturday. He was the only reason why the Penguins had an outside chance of tying the game late in the third period, and he made several big saves on odd-man rushes and breakaways.

If he can keep giving the Penguins goaltending like that, they'll have a really good shot of winning this series. 

- The Girard-Letang pair had a lot of momentum heading into the playoffs before falling flat in Game 1. The pair accounted for only 2.5% of the expected goals during the game, which is woeful. 

Letang struggled to break the puck out of the defensive zone and generate offense, largely because of the Flyers' structured defense. After practice, he spoke about the way the Flyers made it difficult and how the Penguins can get past their trap.

"I think it's just to play with speed," Letang said. "Like I said, the transition game is really good, so if you play in front of them instead of behind them, you give them a chance to counter with speed, and they have really skilled forwards that can make you pay."

The Flyers' speed was on display throughout the game, and they generated several high-quality chances, despite scoring only three goals. It's on the Penguins to limit those chances against and to get more high-danger chances of their own. 

Puck drop for Game 2 is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh and ESPN.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!      

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Do-Overs For (Almost) Everyone In The AL West

RAMSAU, AUSTRIA - JULY 21: Daniel Mulligan of Ireland hits his second shot on the fifth hole during day four of the Euram Bank Open at GC Adamstal on July 21, 2024 in Ramsau, Austria. (Photo by Jan Hetfleisch/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Have regrets? That roster you meant to construct carefully but finished the job while on far too many weed gummis? Did you fritter away a couple games you know you would have won if you had it to play again today? Are you waiting for young talent that is almost “almost here”?

Unless you’re the Houston Astros — and trust me you do not want to be the Houston Astros right now — the universe has given a big mulligan to the AL West. Everyone started out 0-0 with 162 to play and after 22 grueling games…pretty much the whole division is 11-11, give or take a dead rat.

The A’s came to their 11-11 record in a very roundabout, roller-coaster-y way losing the first 4, then soon after winning 5 straight on the road against New York teams expected to contend, only to drop 3 of their last 4 and losing a series to the recent laughingstocks of baseball, the Chicago White Sox.

Meanwhile, the Rangers end the week with a record of, you guessed it, 11-11, having sat atop the division much of the first 3 weeks but unable to distance themselves from the .500 mark.

The Angels have been a pleasant surprise, which has to be concerning to their fans since it has gotten them only a record of 11-12.

The Mariners aren’t quite back even, but their series win over Texas has allowed them to creep ever closer at 8-11.

Only the Astros are buried early, having lost 3 starting pitchers, a shortstop, and 15 games out of 23.

What does this all mean? Mostly that the Mariners, widely favored to win the AL West in pre-season predictions, have given their rivals a 1.0-1.5 game head start in a race that is now 140 games. All the drama of the first 3 weeks has resulted in practically nothing with regard to the standings or the .500 mark, unless you happen to live in Houston.

That might be good news for a team like the A’s, who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Gage Jump, and possibly later in the season Leo De Vries, to a team whose most glaring instabilities appear in the rotation and 3B.

It also means that while the A’s haven’t thrived overall, they have survived 1/8 of the season in which Luis Severino and Jacob Lopez on the pitching side, Jacob Wilson, Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, and Lawrence Butler on the hitting side, have performed worse than they probably will in the last 7/8.

Of course their rival teams can make the same claims. Colt Emerson is a big time prospect for Seattle and no one thinks Josh Naylor is going to continue batting .146 or that Cal Raleigh will slug .262.

But the over arching point here, for all the teams, is that for whatever has gone wrong so far, whatever glaring holes were strangely not anticipated by Opening Day, whatever tough losses were endured, you got a mulligan and the chance to look forward to a 140 game season that begins tomorrow with everyone at .500 like they were on the morning of March 27th. Unless you’re the Astros, in which case you can go bang a trash can lid against your nuts and see who cries for you.

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Knicks flipped switch to neutralize Hawk’s strategy that was a growing problem

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) drives to the basket during the second quarter of Game 1 in the first round of the NBA playoffs, Image 2 shows Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum #3 goes up for a shot as New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson #23 jumps to defend during the second quarter

It was as if a switch had flipped coming out of halftime in Game 1, as the Knicks neutralized a Hawks strategy that was hurting them more than anything else.

Most on-ball screens involve a smaller ball handler and bigger center or forward to try to create an opening or force a switch and create a mismatch. But the Hawks utilized a less common version during the Knicks’ 113-102 win to open their Eastern Conference first-round series Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

Atlanta frequently ran small-small actions — a guard screening for another guard — and it gave the Knicks fits defensively in the first half. It was particularly effective in the second quarter, when the Hawks shot 9-for-18 from the field and 5-for-7 from 3-point range as they erased an 11-point deficit. But the Knicks adjusted and cleaned it up in the third quarter, when the Hawks shot just 8-for-21 from the field and 2-for-7 from 3-point range while the Knicks rebuilt their lead.

“Their small-small pick-and-roll also is a problem,” coach Mike Brown said after the game. “And our guys did a pretty good job of defending that the right way in the second half. It kind of got away from us early in the game, and they got some open looks from it, but our level of physicality without fouling was really good in the second half, as well as our communication with their small-small pick-and-roll.”

Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels #5 drives to the basket during the second quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Usually, the small-small actions involved CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. It was a good way for the Hawks to target Jalen Brunson, who primarily was guarding McCollum and largely is considered the worst Knicks defender.

During that first half, Brunson had a particularly rough time staying with McCollum, who got a plethora of open looks. McCollum scored 12 of his 26 points in the second quarter. It created a few open looks for Alexander-Walker, too, though he wasn’t as efficient at capitalizing on them.

But Alexander-Walker shot a stellar 39.9 percent from 3-point range this year, taking a high volume of them (8.1 per game). It would behoove the Knicks not to bank on him continuing to miss quality shots.

“The way they do it, they got to the point where they mastered it, and they’re really good at it,” Brunson said after practice Sunday. “Them being able to slip out of screens and get to the point where they’re ready to go and their feet are set and ready, they’re really good at it. We just gotta be ready to be more physical. At the same time, communicate a little better, just making sure we’re not giving them the space. I think a lot of teams that have multiple ball handlers do that because it’s a very unique action that can put one of the two in space.”

The Hawks do have multiple capable ball handlers. Their strength is in their quick guards and wings rather than their bigs.

It’s an area that presented the Hawks with an opportunity to find one of their only on-paper advantages in this series. The Knicks’ 3-point and perimeter defense was inconsistent and was a talking point all year, though it got better by the end of the regular season. Often, miscommunication was at the heart of it.

For one half, it was exposed.

Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum #3 goes up for a shot as New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson #23 jumps to defend during the second quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

“I think we can get better on our communication, especially on guard-guard [actions],” Josh Hart said Sunday. “For the first game, it was solid, but we have to be better.

“For sure, I think we can clean it up. That communication of small-smalls, not allowing them to get [McCollum] and [Alexander-Walker] open shots. They’re talented players. Obviously, you just try to get them to shoot as many contested shots as you can. So the communication’s got to be better. The physicality was good, but we have to ramp that up. … I think they do a really good job of spreading into those screens and slipping out, those kinds of things.”

The strategy has big-picture ramifications, too. It’s something the Knicks will have to deal with if they meet the Celtics in the second round.

“That’s something that Boston does an amazing job of, and I feel — I won’t say they started it, but they really elevated it,” Hart said. “And it’s a copycat league. And you see that and say, ‘OK, how can we figure that out? How can teams do that?’ So it’s a little unnatural. I think the best way to guard those and negate those open looks is communication.”

So far, the Hawks’ small-small actions are not a big Knicks issue. But it’s surely something they’ll continue to throw at them.

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Yankees' Ben Rice continues 'steady ascent' after homering in fourth straight game

Heading into their weekend series with the Kansas City Royals, the Yankees had lost seven out of their last 10 games and needed to get back on track.

And that's exactly what they did, outscoring KC 24-6 with nine home runs to complete the three-game sweep.

Leading the charge was Ben Rice, who homered in all three wins, bringing his streak to four straight games with a home run. Rice is now up to eight homers on the season, trailing Aaron Judge by just one HR as the slugger also went deep in Sunday's win.

With 17 home runs combined on the year (the most in the majors among a duo), Rice was asked what it's like "teaming up on opposing pitchers" with Judge and said he's just happy to contribute to winning baseball.

"I don't know about teaming up. It feels good to hit some homers. He's always going to be hitting homers," Rice said. "To be able to hit some along with him is cool for me. You don't really think about it too much to be honest."

Rice led off on Sunday and battled through a six-pitch at-bat to walk in the first inning, providing a baserunner for Judge to drive in on his two-run homer. Manager Aaron Boone spoke highly of Rice's first AB, saying it set the tone for the game and complimented his ability to hit tough pitches.

"Yeah, he's hit a couple on that same pitch," Boone said. "Feel like he got one the other day where it was tight to him like that and he's able to get the barrel to it and keep it fair. Really set a good tone first at-bat of the game, really long, grind it out walk ahead of Aaron's homer. More good ABs from him."

Boone added: "Bottom line is, again, I think he's turning into, or even is one of the really outstanding hitters in the league. That's what he is right now."

The manager went on to say that Rice has been on a "steady ascent" since his debut in 2024 and is now beginning to show his full potential.

"I think he's finding some more holes right now," Boone said. "Last year it was pretty dynamic. What did he end up with, 530 plate appearances, well over .800 (OPS). I think everyone's kind of done the digging where the underlying stuff suggests that it was even better than that probably. So it's just been a steady ascent for him. 

"He did some really good things in '24 for us. Had some struggles in '24 that I think he grew from. Last year was really a breakout season for him and I think a prelude to what he can be, which is I think what we're seeing."

Judge agreed with Boone's assessment, calling Rice's performance so far this season as "top of the league." 

"I know he's going to be on base a lot so it's going to make my job easy to get him into scoring position or drive him in like we did in the first," Judge said. "It definitely will be some headaches for opposing pitching staff. What Benny has done so far this year and will continue to do is top of the league right now."

The duo will look to keep it going this week when the Yanks face the Boston Red Sox for the first time, starting a three-game series on Tuesday at Fenway Park.

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Orlando bullies top-seeded Detroit, gets Game 1 upset on the road 112-101

That was the Orlando Magic we have been waiting for all season.

From the opening tip, the Magic were the more physical team and pushed the No. 1 seed Pistons around, scoring 54 points in the paint (20 more than Detroit). Orlando started the game aggressively on defense and started hot on the other end — 7-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-4 from the arc — while Detroit was an offensive mess, starting 1-of-6 shooting with four turnovers.

The result was that just four and a half minutes into the game, the Magic were up 13 and getting whatever they wanted.

Detroit never caught up.

"I thought we were a little rusty to start," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "Giving up a 35-point quarter, that's not typical of us. I felt like we were chasing them all night."

While Detroit made some runs, they never got over the hump and Orlando pulled off the upset, 112-101.
Game 2 is Wednesday night in Detroit.

Paolo Banchero was the best No. 1 pick on the court in this game, finishing with 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting, with nine rebounds. All five Magic starters scored at least 16 points, with Franz Wagner adding 19 on the night.

This was two monster games from the Magic in a row, including crushing Charlotte in the final play-in game. Orlando, finally healthy, may be peaking at the right time.

Detroit has some work to do to bounce back in Game 2.

There were a couple of concerns about the Pistons heading into the playoffs. One was who would be the secondary scoring behind Cade Cunningham? Turns out, nobody in Game 1. Cunningham was every bit the All-NBA player, putting up 39 points and leading the offense, but the only other Piston to score in double-figures was Tobias Harris with 17, and he shot 5-of-15 on the night.

The other concern was a lack of shooting, and that played out, too. Detroit shot just 36.8% outside the paint, including 31.3% from 3-point range. Orlando did not have to respect Detroit's shooters.

Which led to a rough night for Jalen Duren, who had just eight points on 3-of-4 shooting in his 33 minutes.

"They packed the paint," Bickerstaff said. "They're going to put a bunch of bodies in the paint to make it difficult on him."
Detroit earned the No. 1 seed with its defense, but the Magic's 114.3 offensive rating for the night was right about their season average. On the other hand, Detroit's offensive rating of 102 was more than 15 points below its season average.

Detroit's going to have to match Orlando's physicality and be better in the paint in Game 2 — two areas where the Pistons thrived during the regular season.

All season long, the Pistons bounced back from adversity and exceeded expectations. Doing that in the playoffs is the real test, however.

Because we know Orlando came to play.